Shattered
by Cassandra106
Summary: Marie was a small ten year old with leukemia when she first interred Wammy's. This is her story. MelloxOC. A hint of MattxSayu . No Lemon.
1. Chapter 1

_**Chapter 1**_

_Beginnings_

If a tree falls in a forest without anyone to hear it, does it make a sound? It seems like I am the only one who knows the answer. Heck, my life could probably be used to solve it.

If a child is in pain, but no one understands, are they still hurt? Yes. I would know from experience. I've been hurt many times, and it's not as if anyone notices. But I still feel the pain.

I have leukemia. Leukemia is a type of cancer focused on white blood cells. I have nosebleeds often. I bruise easily. I am physically weak. (though you won't get me to admit it.) And I'm incredibly skinny. It's not hard to tell that I'm dying.

Which is why I think it's pointless to put me in Wammy's. By the time L is dead, I most likely will be, too.

I would like to start at the day I went to Wammy's.

On my first day, I was 10 years old. My mother had died giving birth to me, and my father had killed himself nearly a year ago.

You could say I was low on self-esteem.

What is Wammy's? Wammy's House is an orphanage for incredibly intelligent children. In my opinion, it's kind of biased. Think about it; an orphanage that doesn't only except people with dead parents-Nah, you have to be a uber-genius, too.

Actually, they have a good reason for what they're doing. They need to find the smartest child in the world- preferably an orphan, before L dies.

Who is L? The greatest known mind in this world. He is a amazing detective, having solved more cases in the last three years than most police officers hope to in their entire lives.

And he's dying. L Lawliet (yeah-that's his real name) has a severe medical condition that causes him to need a very large amount of sugars in order to live. So, when he dies, the person currently in the top spot at Wammy's will take his place. Because people need someone like L.

Man… I'm way off track. I was at Wammy's right? Right. Ten years old. Right.

So picture a small orphanage a few miles off the edge of Winchester, England. At this time, about twenty or so children were playing in the front yard. Almost none of them notice the small ten-year-old girl walking through the large gates, holding the hand of a very old man. She is incredibly small, but not in a way that makes her seem young. Instead, she seems strong, like she has been through a lot, has seen a lot. She has long, curly, thick brown hair going down to the middle of her back. She is very thin and pale, with a vulnerable look to her build. Her eyes are not scared, like most students on their first day, or even crying. Instead, her face looks over the crowd in front of her, calculating.

"Thank you for your help, Watari. I think I can manage it from here." The old man smiles and nods.

The man had a slight Japanese accent; maybe for this reason, he whispered as he said, "Be strong, Marie. I'm going to go tell Roger he has a new charge." He chuckled and walked into the orphanage, leaving her behind.

On that day, I was to busy to bother with listening with what he had said; I was wondering who to talk to first. I eventually decided on the smallest group of children in the corner, for two reasons. One-they appeared interesting, with their eccentric clothing and hairstyles. Two, I didn't do well with the kind of people that usually associated with large groups; they were often shallow and demeaning. That isn't to say all of them are-just most.

One of them was tall and blond, with shoulder length hair and startling blue eyes. He was wearing all black, leather at that. He had a red and white beaded rosary around his neck. He reminded me of a dove splattered with black paint- his features were so angelic compared to his clothing. The other, mindlessly staring at the screen of a Nintendo DS through orange-tinted goggles, had messy red-brown hair; in my mind, it seemed to be maroon. He was wearing a fussy brown sleeveless winter coat over a long-sleeved black and white striped t-shirt. He had on black leather elbow-length gloves and knee-length boots. He was sporting black skinny jeans. At the time, I wondered if he was trying to look like one of his video-game characters, or if he simply preferred that particular style of clothing. Either way, it suited him. He didn't look up from his game as I approached them. The other one, the blond, stared at me warily.

"Hi, my name is Marie. What's your's?"

He grabbed a bar of chocolate from who knows where, an ferociously took a bite. I'll admit it; he scared me a little. He looked at me for a second and then shrugged, as if to say, _'What can it hurt, really?'_

"I'm Mello, and this dip-stick is Matt. What do you want? There's a lot of better people you can talk to, you know. We're not exactly popular."

I shrugged. "Neither was I. You don't really want to get up close to the kid with leukemia. She's going to die, anyway." My voice came out sounding more bitter than I'd intended.

He looked shocked for a second, then turned to pity. He shouldn't have. I despise pity more than any other emotion. "I'm sorry."

I shook my head. "Don't be; I brought it up. So, tell me, does Matt over there talk at all, or just rarely?"

He laughed. I don't know if he was thinking the same thing as I was at that moment, but I'm pretty sure he was.

_This is just the start of a beautiful friendship._

_**Chapter 2**_

_Belief _

There are not many things I believe in in this world. For instance, I don't believe in God. If there was a god, Mello (one of his biggest believers) would be in first place at Wammy's. If there was a God, I would be healthy; happy. Matt would have an unlimited supply of video games.

My mother and father wouldn't be dead.

I don't believe in birthdays, either. They seem like a waste of time. That may be because I never celebrated one until I met Mello and Matt.

There is one thing that I believe in, though-Beyond Birthday is utterly insane.

You would believe it too if he had greeted you the way he had greeted me.

I still remember his cold smile in the lunchroom during my second day at Wammy's. I can still hear his twisted and merry voice as he said it:

"You don't have very much time, now _do _you? Hehe… neither does your gamer friend. Or the chocoholic. But, if you compare them to you, they have an eternity. And you-well, you have a blink of an eye. I wonder, do you know?"

"Don't encourage him," Matt muttered under his breath while still being completely focused on his video game.

I ignored him; Matt probably gave me good advice, but I was curious. I focused on Beyond.

"Do I know what?"

Beyond cackled. The whole lunch room was staring at him as he said, "That, at the most, you'll only live to be seventeen? Or maybe I was wondering if you knew you had cancer? _Alice May Harper_, are you ignoring me? You're going to die, within seven years!"

I stared at him. "You're lying," I whispered.

He shook his head merrily, "If I was lying, then how would I know your real name, Marie?"

Mello and Matt suddenly stood up, as if by some invisible queue.

Mello was obviously mad. "Let's get out of this nuthouse."

Matt's voice was cold. "C'mon, Marie, let's leave. Beyond's a nutter anyways."

I only followed them because I wanted to try and escape what Beyond had said. It couldn't be true; I was going to be lucky enough to live until seventeen? I had been convinced by doctors that I would only live another year at most.

To live until 17 would be a miracle. I had never witnessed one of those before. They are another thing I didn't believe in.

Mello immediately started talking after he had locked us in the library.

"You shouldn't listen to him. He probably hacked into the school files. Or bribed Roger. Beyond just wants to mess with you." I smiled, but only shook my head at him. Couldn't he tell how happy I was? I was practically bursting.

Matt spoke up. "You're not upset. Why?"

I figured it was time to tell them. They obviously wouldn't figure it out otherwise.

"A few months ago, a specialist in New York told me that I would only live another year, at most. Beyond just told me I would live seven more. And you can't tell why I'm happy?"

Matt shook his head. "Why would a doctor tell a ten year old girl that?"

I was confused. "He believed it to be true."

Matt shook his head and ruffled my hair. "You don't get it, do you? Now it's my turn to explain. Even _if_ you believe a patient is going to die, you don't tell them. Think about the emotional trauma. And what if you're wrong? The patient could sue you. It just seems to me like it's better for both parties if you don't disclose that kind of information."

I nodded. I could see his point. In a way, he was right. But I had purposely asked the doctor when he thought I was going to die, and how soon. "I still believe that it would be a miracle to live until seventeen. You know, _considering_ that I would've only had a year before."

Mello, who had stayed silent through most of this, shook his head.

"What is you had lived your life being told you would live until you were seventy, even eighty? Beyond didn't need to tell you that. He did it purely to upset you. What the real miracle is, is that you weren't upset! You deserve to live for much longer than seventeen years. Everyone does."

I shook my head. Mello rarely made me sad, but this was one of those times.

"Mihael Keehl, hasn't anyone ever told you? People hardly ever get what they deserve."

**Chapter 3**

_Heartbroken_

With a show of hands, tell me-how many people reading this right now really and truly believe in miracles? Just what I thought. Hardly any of you.

And I don't need to see that to believe it.

But what if I told you I had proof? Because I do. Here it is- ever since I went to Wammy's I had been receiving extensive medical assistance. When I was 13, they started putting me through chemo. Every few months they would check up on me, to see if I would still have signs of cancer. I got used to them finding something.

But on my fifth appointment, they didn't. They asked to test my blood again out of the random one day a week after to see if they had made a mistake, but they didn't.

My doctor cried when she told me that they hadn't found any cancer. I couldn't wait to tell Mello and Matt.

When I got back to Wammy's from the doctor's office, Mello was the only one waiting for me. Matt, he said, was taking an aptitude test and wouldn't be back for a few hours. On any other day, I would've waited for him before telling, but I wanted to see Mello's face so badly…

I almost laughed as he turned as white as a sheet and bugged his eyes out. I wondered if I would have to pick his jaw up off the floor.

"Y-you… If you're joking, I'm gonna kill you."

I shook my head.

"Seriously?" I chuckled and nodded.

Suddenly I was in the bear hug of my life. For a while he just kept hugging me. Then he pulled back and looked at me.

"Remember when you first came here, and BB told you that you were going to die?" I nodded. "Do you remember what I said?"

"I remember everything you said, but what in particular?"

"When I said you didn't deserve it. And then you said people don't get what they deserve."

I was confused. "What about it?"

He smiled, and leaned in so that our faces were barely inches apart.

"You didn't deserve to have leukemia. And now you don't have it."

That one shocked me. I admit it. After he finished, I didn't know what to say. So I just stared at him, wondering what he was going to do next.

He leaned in slowly and brushed his lips across mine.

Mello disappeared from Wammy's in a fit of rage the next day.

I remember the day he disappeared vividly. I usually don't let my emotions gain control of me that way.

It was on a Saturday. I slept in until near noon, because I was incredibly tired from the whole ordeal yesterday. When I woke up, there was a box on my dresser. I walked up to it, figuring it was from Mello or Matt, a '_I'm so happy you don't have cancer gift'_, if you will.

Sure enough, on the package in Mello's messy handwriting was:

"_I you don't open this, you'll wish you had cancer. -Mello"_ I smiled and ripped the package open. There were two things inside.

The first was a gun. I will never know his motivation for that.

The second was a note. It was a waste of a sheet of paper, really, with only two short words.

_I'm sorry._

Needless to say, I assumed the worst. I ran out of my room, screaming the same thing over and over repeatedly.

"MIHAEL CURTIS KEEHL, IF YOU DON'T COME OVER HERE RIGHT NOW, I SWEAR I'LL KILL YOU!"

I must've looked like quite a sight, running down the halls, screaming out his name over and over. After a few minutes, someone came up from behind me and put his hand over my mouth, spinning me around.

Near was surprisingly strong.

"By your outbursts, I'm assuming he left you a letter." I nodded. " If you stop screaming, I'll tell you what's happening." I nodded again. I was out of breath, anyway.

He slowly removed his hand from my mouth. "L has died by Kira's hand. As L himself didn't decide who would take his place, Roger decided that he would've wanted Mello and I to work together. Mello disliked the idea and left, presumably to find Kira by himself, taking Matt with him."

I stared at him.

He… took Matt… But not me? I could feel the burn of tears behind my eyes, but I absolutely _refused_ to cry for Mello's sake. If he didn't need me, I didn't need him.

Or at least that's what I told myself as tears slipped down my face.

The look on Near's face was one of understanding as he led by the hand to my room, closing the door behind us. He simply sat me down on the bed and waited me out. When my sobbing had faded, he spoke quietly.

"I would like you to help me when I go to stop Kira."

I nodded, but I felt guilty about it; after all, I wasn't doing so to look for Kira, but to find Mello.

**Chapter 4**

_Intentions_

In time, I grew close to Near; he was the perfect calm antidote to missing Matt and Mello. Near, in a way, made me feel numb. Like Novocain.

I hadn't been sure, originally, why Near would need my help, but soon it became apparent. I was like his Watari. When he had to speak to someone outside of his taskforce and the one in Japan, he used me.

In the next year, I grew rapidly, without any illness to hold back my growth. I was now the height of a normal person, but, as if for sacrifice, I had cut my hair to shoulder length. My face had leaned out most of my baby fat, and my emerald green eyes had gained a slight tilt to them. Though I didn't see it myself, Near said I was quite pretty.

I hardly ever saw the SPK, even though we lived in the same building. Near seemed keen on keeping us separate, telling me only what I directly asked. I learned later on that they knew very little about me, as well.

Near started to have me watch the SPK; he set up several screens in the walls of my room so that I could watch everything that was going on.

It was months before anything interesting (to me) happened.

I remember the exact time-1:38pm. I was fifteen when it happened. It had been a normal day, until that point. Then the news spread that someone was at the door, waiting for someone to let them in. I quickly switched cameras so that I got an easy view of the front door.

There was a boy about my age standing in front of it. He had shoulder-length honey-blond hair, and was wearing purely black leather.

_No,_ I thought. _It can't be._ But all doubts were erased from by mind when the figure snapped an aggressive bite out of a chocolate bar.

I was snapped out of my reverie when Near's voice cracked over the intercom.

"Marie, can you see who it is outside the door?"

I said calmly, fighting other emotions on the inside, "Yes, I can."

"Do you know who they are?"

I swallowed, but ended up saying it anyway. Near wouldn't hurt Mello, would he?

"I…I think it's Mello." It felt so odd to day his name.

"I see. Do you want to be the one to confront him?"

Yes. Wait…. No, I couldn't. But I have to….

_Oh, just get it done already, you know you want to see him. Weather or _not_ you kill him, you still want to see him._

"Y-yes, I think I do."

For the first time since the day I met him, Near's voice carried a little bit of emotion.

"If you don't come back, I won't be angry." The intercom let off a small beep, signaling that Near could no linger hear me. I got up out of my chair and started down to the elevator.

I felt like a wuss, staring at the front door and daring myself to open it. I had been staring there for 5 minutes.

I was startled to hear Mello knock violently at the door in front of me.

"Near, if you don't get your f***ing butt up here and open the f***ing door, I swear you will wish that you had never been f***ing born, you son-of-a-b****!"

I winced at his language. _I should probably hurry,_ I thought, patting by back pocket to make sure I still had my gun.

I took a deep breath and opened the door.

I noticed halfheartedly that Mello was tall now. About a foot taller than my 5ft 6in. I had to bend my neck up to see his face.

"What do you want?" I didn't mean for my voice to sound so icy.

He looked angry. Incredibly so. "What the f*** do you think you're doing here?"

I flinched. His tone was biting. "I work here. Would you mind telling me exactly why you're here?" Both of us could feel the unspoken question-_Where were you?_

He ignored my question. "You weren't supposed to get involved," he hissed.

I opened my mouth to answer, but didn't get a chance as he grabbed my arm and yanked me across the street, and down a couple of blocks. Suddenly he stopped.

He gave me a look that said, clear as day, _Stay put. _He walked into a nearby bar and vanished. I waited for a few minutes before he stormed back out, pulling someone behind him similarly to how he had tugged me. He stopped in front of me, livid.

"Matt, watch her while I'm with Near." His voice didn't leave any room for questioning. He looked over me for a second as if contemplating something. He took my gun.

"Hey!" I shouted as he disappeared back the way we had came.

"Marie, is that you?" I turned to the man Mello had told to 'watch me'.

I nodded feebly. "Yeah, I guess it is." Matt gave me a wry grin.

"Guess we've got a lot to catch up on, don't we?"

Instead of saying yes, I followed him into the bar.

**Chapter 5**

_Reunion_

"So are you, like, suicidal?"

I gaped at Matt. I had just told him a summary of the last two years, and _that's_ all he had to say? I narrowed my eyes.

"No, But I could kill you." He shook his head incredulously.

"You wouldn't dare kill me. Besides, Mello took your gun." Remembering that, I frowned.

"I'm gonna kill Mello….," I muttered. He chuckled.

I glared at him. "What's so funny?"

We were sitting in one of the less smoke-filled booths at the back of the bar. It only had less smoke because I forbid Matt the option to pollute my air. Nasty habit, smoking.

"Never mind. It's nothing." There was a small silence as I waited for him to say more. When he didn't, I spoke.

"So, what've you and Mello been doing?"

Matt smiled. He was never one to tell stories, but this seemed to be one he enjoyed to tell.

"It all started when Mello stormed into my room. He started screaming about how Near always ruins everything and all, until I shut him up. I admit it was my idea to leave. No wait, I said that wrong. It wasn't my idea to leave; Mello would've left anyway. It was my idea to leave and find Kira. Prove that Near was not L's true successor.

"Don't look at me like that, Marie." (I had been glaring at him.) "I'm not done yet. I _did_ want you to come with us. Mello put his foot down there, though. If I thought he was having a fit before….Well, let's just say Mello could put all toddlers to shame. I couldn't do anything to change his mind."

"So, what did you do when you left Wammy's?"

"A better question would be 'What _didn't _you do?'" He put on a heavy American accent, and I blushed. Did I really sound like that? I had only been in America for a few years…

I shook my head. "Well at least _I_ was born in America. You have a British accent, and you, if I remember right, were born and raised until you were 5 in _Spain, _Mail_."_

He frowned. "Don't say that name here. We don't know who could be listening. Why don't we go back to the story at hand?" When I nodded, he continued. "In the beginning, we did odd jobs, whatever came our way. We saved up enough money to send messages to Mello's old family in America. Only _after_ they had sent us tickets an we were on the plane, did Mello bother with telling me who they were." He paused for a dramatic effect.

"Apparently Mello had connections in the Mafia. We got to America a year ago, and Mello's already in a high spot in their rankings. He's been using the mafia to find Kira. Somehow, he's convinced them Kira is a threat."

I didn't know what to think. "It… definitely sounds like something Mello would do."

Matt nodded. "He went a little crazy, you know."

I frowned. "What?"

"He missed you," Matt explained. "He went a little crazy without you to stabilize him."

I was a little flattered and a little confused. "I stabilize him?"

Matt smiled. "Do you remember how when we were at Wammy's we would walk down the hallways and just talk, even if all three of us were supposed to be in classes? And how Mello would always start picking a fight whenever a teacher would tell us to go back to our classrooms?"

I nodded. "What about it?"

"You always stopped Matt when he started getting his _violent_ look about him. If I had ever tried to tell him to give it up like you did, he would've punched me in the face, then proceeded to beat up whoever he was fighting with. But he listened to you. Sure, he would've been all pissy for the next few days, but he would've stopped the fight. In my opinion, Mello's like a time bomb, and no one but you is able to defuse him."

I laughed. "Whatever. I always knew you were crazy. So, what do you think Mel is going to do when he came back? He was pretty mad."

Matt's expression sobered a bit.

"I think he's gonna do one of two things-Either he's gonna kiss you, or start cussing you out. Knowing Mello, I'd lean toward both."

That sent me into near hysterics. I leaned over the booth and gave Matt a hug.

I had really missed my best friend, after all.

**Chapter 6**

_Reality _

Mello took 30 minutes to get back. He seemed moderately less mad than before.

I took that to be a good sign. Maybe he wouldn't cuss me out. I really didn't want to fight with him the first time I saw him in two years, but if he started it…

He stood at the end of the table and looked at us for a second.

"Matt. Wait outside in the car. We'll be out in a second." Matt raised his eyebrow in defiance, but went along. As Matt left, Mello took his place, sitting across from me in the booth. He stared at me, scrutinizing the way I was moving. It made me nervous. Finally, he spoke.

"Well, you've grown, haven't you? And you cut your hair." He chuckled. "Still have the same taste in clothing, though." I blushed, automatically looking down to see what I was wearing. I wore a thick cameo army jacket and black skinny jeans. My hair was pulled back in a (really short) ponytail, and I was wearing knee-high combat boots. I frowned.

"What, exactly, is wrong with the way I dress?" I swear I saw Mello's lips quirk up in a minuscule smile.

"Nothing. It's just so… Marie. No one else can even come close."

I smiled. Just a little bit. "So that's your way of saying, 'I missed you'? I think it needs a little work. But, just so you know, I missed you, too."

He gave me a teasing smile. "You _missed_ me? You must be masochistic."

I thought about it for a second, and for some reason that thought sobered me.

"Do you want to know what I missed?" Without giving him a chance to answer, I plunged on. "I missed waking up in the morning and meeting you in the common room. I missed hearing your bitter griping about how you were running out of chocolate when we all knew you still had three boxes left. I miss hearing you go on and on about how Near isn't as good as he thinks he is. I miss hearing that _incessant_ snapping of chocolate. I miss felling triumphant when you smiled, like it was just for me. I miss the way your walls would break down when you thought no one was looking. I miss seeing you wear all those crosses and hearing you pray every night even though you have nothing to be sorry for. I miss those rare moments when I would go to your room and your door was open. I miss feeling like I was intruding when I realized you were praying. But, most of all, I miss those awkward moments when I realized you were praying about me. If that's masochistic, then I am one sick nutter because I miss it all."

He stared at me for a second then got up and sat next to me. He leaned in so his lips were half an inch away from my ear and spoke.

"I could go on and on right now about how I missed every little part of you. And, fact is, I did. But, we might want to get up and continue this conversation somewhere else, considering the fact that people are starting to stare at the underage couple sitting in the back booth." I nodded an followed him when he got up. We left the bar and walked a few minutes until we reached a Wal-Mart parking lot. He immediately located a old beat-up pickup.

"If you value your life, don't insult Matt's car. It's his baby, and he'll tell you the same." I giggled. Same old Matt.


	2. Chapter 2

****I am soooooo sorry for the midget chapter, but if I make little short ones like this, then they'll show up a whole lot more. It would've taken me weeks to build up another big long one like before.

If you would prefer that I not make midget chapters, if you would rather wait a couple of weeks, then tell me in a review, please.

And a hug and a thank-you-so-much-I-freaking-LOVE-you all to everyone who reviewed including anja0997, sabrina4455, and Mangafreak666. If you reveiwed too and I didn't catch you in time, I'm really sorry.

DISCLAIMER: I don't own Death Note;If I did, L would be alive, Matsuda would've hooked up with Misa, and L with Light.

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><p><strong>Chapter 7<strong>

_Space in Time_

I now realize that the way I began this story might lead people to believe I was complaining. If you think that, then I am completely sorry. It seems that I mislead you.

As I continue this story, I want you to realize that I regret nothing. Everything I do I would've done all over again if I had gotten the chance. Why? Because, though I admit there are periods in my life when all I want to do is crawl in a hole and die, I would suffer those moments over and over again as long as I didn't miss the good parts. Correction, now that I think about it, there was only one truly _good_ part of my life, only one part that I really cherish.

When I went to live with Mello and Matt in their apartment, yes, that was definitely a period of bliss. Not to say it didn't have it's rough patches, when Mello would be gone for days at a time, or when we he decided we should move to Japan.

That day certainly changed many things in how Mello and I saw each other. It was two months after I had moved in with them, and we had already gained a set schedule. Mello would go to work at the Mafia every other day. Once or twice a month he wouldn't come home for a while. Matt would be gone from 8am until 6pm, thanks to his job at GameStop. I would sit like a duck at home waiting all day because Mello sweared that if I took a step out of the door, he would 'drag my skinny white a** back to Near in an instant', as he had so kindly put it.

On that day Mello came home early. He stomped into our tiny apartment; I could her him from the kitchen. He immediately started yelling.

"Marie! Get your stuff together. We're leaving."

I was shocked, and I immediately ran over to the door to meet him.

"Why are we leaving?" He stared at me for a second. Was he really surprised that I would question him?

"Near has centered himself in Japan, and Kira has been there from the beginning. It's only reasonable that we go there, too. I've got all my men on planes now. I just need you and Matt."

I froze. "You-We're going to _Japan?_" He nodded. "Get your things, and let's go pick up Matt."

I shook my head, partially in denial, partially to fend off the slight irritation I was feeling. "We can't go to Japan. I don't speak Japanese. Matt hardly can, and you're the only one who's been there before.

He looked desperate. "If I'm going to catch Kira, we _have_ to. C'mon, Marie…"

"No…" I muttered. "We just got settled down; Matt was going to get a promotion. We were gonna move into a bigger apartment…" Mello sighed and suddenly pulled me so my face was huddled to his chest. When he finally whispered, it sounded slightly fragile, more breakable than before.

"_Please_… After Kira is gone, after this all is settled… we can move back to LA, buy a big apartment. Matt can get his job at GameStop back. We can live here forever if that's what you'd like." He chuckled, his voice loosing the serious edge for a sentence. "H**, I'll even buy you a pony if you want one. Just… _please._ I need to do this."

I didn't know if I was the only one who heard it, but to me the unspoken sentences after that rang clear as a bell.

_I need you to come with me. If you don't come I'll go anyway, but I wouldn't make it without you._

I frowned, snuggling deeper into his chest as I felt my own defeat._  
><em>

Mello was the only one able to convince me of things like this, but convince me he did. Before I knew it, all three of us were in a flight to Japan.


	3. Chapter 3

Im soooooo sorry, but this is only a tiny filler chapter! It's only here to symbolize them settling in Tokyo. It's kinda boring, and I apologize. Another apology because it's 300 word _shorter_ than last time. :(

!

A I-am-so-in-love-with-all-of-you-guys-I-would-marry-every-single-one-of-you to these reveiwers:

anja0997 , torixx3 , sabrina4455 , and Mangafreak666

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><p><strong>Chapter 8<strong>

_Other Interests_

"Matt, are you gay?" I asked calmly from across our booth at the local Starbucks. We had recently settled in Tokyo at the time, but I was speaking English. I couldn't speak decent Japanese to save my life.

Matt made and impressive show of choking and sputtering into his coffee.

"_What?"_

I goaded him further saying, "Not that I have anything against gay people; you know I'm not prejudice. I've just been wondering recently…"

His face was turning a shade of maroon that matched his hair. "W-why would you think that? I've had girlfriends before, like Linda, or-or Madison…"

I took a long sip of my latte before answering.

"I think that because there's a really cute girl two booths down from us that's been giving you the eye since we walked in, and you haven't even noticed." I didn't really think he was gay-I had borne witness to that fact too many times for my own comfort. I just thought he needed a date.

He immediately turned and looked around. The girl was pretty cute, in a Japanese way, short with dark eyes and long dark hair. I happened to know Matt had a thing for short girls.

When he looked back at me, his gaze was curious.

"Was she really looking at me the whole time?" I smiled. Hook, line, and sinker.

I nodded. "Go get 'er. I don't mind; just hope she thinks mispronounced Japanese is a turn-on." He was already gone by the time I had finished.

I watched as Matt began conversing with the girl. I couldn't keep op with what they were saying, but it was obvious they were flirting. After a little while she and her little group left and Matt came back to our booth. He was smiling.

"Her name is Sayu. Doesn't that sound cute?" He sounded exited. "She says she might help me with my Japanese; she doesn't think it's _that_ bad."

I smiled. "So you got her number?" He nodded.

"Not only that, but I'm going to meet her here tomorrow." _Great! Matt had been alone for a while now._

"Good for you." I smiled, and leaned over the table to hug him. "I get to pick out what you wear tomorrow. No goggles."

He frowned. "Okay… but she said she thought my goggles were cute."

"Su-ure." I snickered and stood up, throwing my empty coffee in the trash. "Now lets get you a job."

He sighed and followed me out of Starbucks into the crowded sidewalk.

"Where are we going to 'get me a job'?"

I thought about it. "First, we need to get you a doctor check up. No place will take you without a medical examination, and I doubt they'll except a two-year-old medical record from another country. We can go home and check the area for a clinic."

Matt's expression was close to the time I stole his DS.

"Marie, you know I _hate_ doctors…"

I nodded. "Matt, you've been through the mafia. You are one of their best hackers. I think you can handle a little check-up. Now show me where you parked the car, we need to get home."


	4. Chapter 4

Here it is! I'm sorry for the wait! School is going to murder me... On the bright side, here's a little fluff! I put it in the "Romance" category for a reason, you know.

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><p><strong>Chapter 8<strong>

_Intelligence_

"Marie?"

I sighed. Of course Mello couldn't wait until the commercial.

"Yes?"

Mello walked into the living room from who knows where, sitting down next to me and grabbing the remote. He turned off the TV and looked at me.

"Wammy's used to make us all take a mandatory education test each year. Do you remember that?"

I nodded. _What's the point?_

"Do you remember how whenever they posted the grading chart, you were always at around 20th place?"

I nodded again, beginning to see his point. _Oh, no…_

"Do you remember what you're IQ was, when they first put you in Wammy's?"

_Oh, god…_ I shook my head, but something in my eyes must have told him I was lying.

"Marie… why would you score low on purpose? Because I was thinking, and I _know _you're smarter than that. H***, when you want to be, you're even smarter than I am."

I shook my head. "You- I don't know what you talking about." I couldn't look him in the eye; he would know. I focused on his forehead.

His voice grew harsh. "Why are you lying to me? You never lie to me. Matt does sometimes. But never you."

I frowned at him. "Because there's nothing to say," I mumbled.

He shook his head, and his face filled with anger. "Fine. If you don't want to tell me, don't. See if I f***ing care!" He got up and started to storm out of the room.

As soon as he stood, I did the same, as if there was a rope tied between us. I grabbed his arm.

"Mello. Please. I'll tell you… just promise not to get mad."

He huffed and sit down. "We'll see."

I took a deep breath and forced myself to look him in the eye.

"I scored low on purpose." He nodded, silently telling me to continue. "The last time I heard, they said my IQ was 198." His eyes bugged out a little bit.

"You could beat _Near_. Why didn't you?"

"I didn't want to be the next L. It was unimportant to me, but I realized early on that it was _very_ important to you. You should hear yourself talk about Near. I… I didn't ever want you to talk about me like that. With your eyes so full of hate. I didn't want to be L, so I figured there was no reason why you couldn't."

Mello stared at me for a second. He looked really mad.

"I understand the sentiment. I really do. But if you _ever_ not put out your full ability on _anything_ for me again…" He shook his head. "Just don't do it again. You're so capable, and I couldn't stand it if I were the one to push you back."

He leaned in, so that his face (oh my god, his_ lips_) was only a few inches away from mine.

"You… are amazing." He whispered. "And I'm not worth it."

"Shut up." I whispered, and then I did something that might as well have changed my life forever.

I kissed him.

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><p>Oh! I almost forgot.<p>

A I-am-so-in-love-with-all-of-you-guys-I-would-marry-every-single-one-of-you to these reveiwers:

anja0997 , torixx3 , sabrina4455 , and Mangafreak666


	5. Chapter 5

EDIT: Sorry, but this isn't a new chapter. Some mistakes in Mello's German were noticed and pointed out to me by JanJan L-chan , and, since I used Google Translator, I figure they're probably right. So the re-upload of this chapter is purely to fix those problems.

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><p>Okay, so it's a little longer this time. Yay, right? Extremely detailed reviews are welcome. Love and fandom, also. Thanks to all the reveiwer- here it is!<p>

Oh, and this chapter is devoted to Mangafreak666 , who predicted this in one of her reviews- the genius!

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><p><strong>Chapter 9<strong>

_All the Screams…_

I came home a few weeks later to screaming. Normally it's not that odd to see Mello and Matt get into a fight, because that's just how they show their love. But this was different.

For one, Mello had reverted to German, his native language. He only does that when he's out for blood. And Matt was screaming Spanish curses at the top of his lungs. _God, I hope the manager can't hear them._

I slowly walked into the living room, to find it completely wreaked. Furniture was all over, and the rug was torn. Mello and Matt we in the center of the room, at each other's throats.

_"Was zum Teufel denkst du, was du da sagst? Du hast keine Ahnung, worum es hier geht."_ Mello was screaming as loud as he could. _(What the heck do you think you're saying? You have no idea what's at stake.)_

"_Tengo ni idea? Hijo de puta! Ni siquiera la conozco!"_ Matt wasn't much quieter. _(No idea? You b*****! You don't even know her!)_

_"Es geht nicht um sie, Matt. Es geht um das Wohl aller. Warum kannst du das verdammt noch mal nicht sehen?" (It's not about her, Matt. It's about the greater good. Why can't you f***ing see that?)_

I decided to intervene. They were about to choke each other. I walked in between them and put a hand on each of their chests.

"What the f*** do you guys think you're doing? You're going to f***ing kill each other." My voice was deathly quiet. Matt started speaking in rapid Spanish.

"God, you're giving me a headache, Matt. Speak in English, or not at all."

He seemed to focus for a second before speaking. "Mello here has decided to kidnap Sayu. If you don't put some sense in him, I will." There was a hint of promise in his voice.

I looked at Mello, trying to keep my calm façade. "Why are you going to kidnap Sayu?"

"Her father, Officer Yagami, has the Death Note! If I kidnap her, then he gives me the Death Note. Simple as that." I sighed.

"Matt, you didn't tell me her father was a police officer."

"He looked at me incredulously. "I didn't think it mattered."

"We're in the Mafia, and Romeo and Juliet stories aren't real. Of course it matters." I said flatly.

He looked hurt. "If it makes any difference, I didn't know her father was _the_ Officer Yagami. But still-she has nothing to do with the investigation. She doesn't know a thing, and you're dragging her into a fight she was never a part of. I am _not_ going to stand and let it happen."

Mello looked at him mockingly. "And what exactly are you going to do about it, prey tell?"

Matt's face was blank as he said, "I'll tell her father what you're doing."

Mello's face switched to earnest. "Matt… you wouldn't."

He looked at me, and then at Mello. "What would you do if it were Marie?"

Mello response was immediate. "The same thing I'm doing now. Anything to get rid of the threat. Or haven't you realized-eventually Kira will bribe someone in the Mafia, maybe even threaten them, and kill us. Which is more important to you, Matt? Your girlfriend, who you've known for a few months, or us, who you've known for years."

There was a dragging silence. Suddenly Matt sighed.

"Promise me you won't let anyone hurt her. She'll be fed. Keep the scum away from her."

Mello nodded. "I'll try my best to keep her out of harm's way."

Suddenly I was pushed aside, and Matt's face was only a few inches from Mello's.

"You won't just try your best. You will do _anything,_ Mello, anything to make sure she's okay. Got that?"

Mello, unfazed, nodded. Matt stormed out of the room.


	6. Chapter 6

I'm soooo sorry for the long wait! Don't kill me, please?

Even though it's not an excuse, I _can_ explain. I have been having the worst week of my existence. Nothing anywhere has even begun to go right for me. My former best friend hates me for some unknown reason, and she's been particularly vicious this last week. I cried twice; and I don't cry.

Sooo pretty please forgive me and reveiw?

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><p><strong>Chapter 11<strong>

_Predictions_

I just knew something bad was going to happen that day. Mello never listened to me, though, even when I begged. He left anyway, saying that, if it were any other day, he might have listened to my desperate pleading.

But today he was going to get the Death Note, and sure as h*** if I was going to stop him.

Matt had been sulking in his room all week since their fight. He was relieved, saying Sayu would be home today. It was only a matter of days before he would see her again.

The whole day I paced. I cleaned, even. Just _anything_ to distract me from that sick feeling in my stomach.

The last time I had felt like that, my father committed suicide while I was at school. I couldn't lose Mello, too.

If that happened, I didn't know what I'd do.

So I cleaned. I baked. I studied Japanese for 3 hours straight, gaining almost perfect understanding of the language that had baffled me only a day ago. I cleaned again. I made myself a Facebook. I just sat, and cried a little.

Around 11pm, I started getting antsy. My pacing increased in speed and ferocity.

At 1:38am, I got a text from Mello's phone.

_M. Come here. NOW._

Below, Mello had typed in an address.

Without thinking, I screamed. "MAAAATTTT! GET YOU'RE A** IN HERE **NOW**!"

He came into the living room in record time.

"I'm gonna take Mello's motorcycle and go get him right now. You're gonna follow me in his car, got it?" He nodded, and I ran outside.

*(***(*O*)***)*

If I hadn't known how to drive a motorcycle, this would've never worked.

When I finally got there, I started crying. I could see why Mello had tested me.

The building before me was a smoldering set of ruins. If Mello wasn't alive in those ruins somewhere, I would kill him.

I ran through the ruins, screaming his name like a maniac. I didn't care who heard Mello's real name at that point; the logical part of me knew he was probably dead. I was about to give up.

And that's when I saw a flash of blond hair in the rubble.

My crying stopped as I ran over it, miraculously managing to not stumble over everything in my path. Sure enough, Mello was there, lying behind a large block of concrete. He was alive.

But that wasn't what made me start crying again.

The whole left side of his body was one big third degree burn. "MAATTTT!," I screamed. "I found him."

Matt, who had given up around an hour ago, ran over.

"Is he alive?" Matt's whisper was deafening.

I nodded. "Get him into the car."

By now, you must've wondered what my specialty is. You _know _it's not languages, or computers, or common sense…

I'm one of the best doctors in the world. This was the first time I had ever felt useful in my life; before, I had always been able to think, '_If she had been in my place, things would've gone better…'_, but now I was the only one in the world who had a decent chance of saving Mello.

I now realize the purpose of me being in his life.

I didn't deserve to live, but Mello did.


	7. Chapter 7

Okay, so here it is. Don't snap at me for the wait; school is going to kill me and I don't really know what to do about it. I have this thing about not turning n math work, and it's starting to bite back. I know, all my fault, I just thought you guys deserved an explanation.

Thanks so much to these reviewers:

torixx3, JanJan L-chan , Mangafreak666 , sabrina4455 , and anja0997 .

PLEASE REVIEW!

...Plwease?

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><p><strong>Chapter 12<strong>

_Injuries_

Mello's condition was getting worse and worse. He had burns all over the left side of his body, mostly second degree with small patches of third. I had treated burns before, just nothing of this magnitude.

Another thing that worried me; he hadn't woken up once since I had found him.

His burns were terrifying me. I thought that some of them might be infected, but there was next to nothing I could do about it. Our tiny little apartment wasn't exactly a specialty EU.

I was out of my element. Out of supplies and running out of time.

I admit that what I did was a little desperate. I wouldn't call Near, but Matt had connections, too.

His girlfriend, for example.

One day, when Matt was going off to work (I had got him a minimum-wage job), I stole his phone. I didn't feel guilty. Likely, he wouldn't even need it. It didn't take me long to find Sayu's name in his contacts.

"Hey, Matt. How are you?" Her voice was incredibly perky. I winced, not being in the best mood.

"Hi, is this Sayu?," I said, even though I was pretty sure it was.

"…Yes. Who is this?"

"I'm a friend of Matt's, and we need your help." I took a deep breath. I hoped my plan would work. If it didn't, I might resort to theft for the supplies I needed.

"Why couldn't Matt call me himself?" She asked, her voice gaining a sharp tone.

"…It's complicated." I said calmly.

"I've got time."

I sighed. "Listen, if you meet me down at the Starbucks where you and Matt meet, I'll explain. Okay?"

"How will I know it's you?"

I chewed the tip of my thumb distractedly. I didn't like the idea of telling her what I would look like on the phone; I was pretty sure Matt's cell might be tapped.

"I'll be the one wearing a rosary. Got it?"

"Okay." She hung up.

**new scene**

Ever since Mello had gotten hurt, I had been wearing his rosary. The thing was very important to him, and with the current condition of his chest, he couldn't wear it. So I had taken to wearing it all the time.

Plus, if I admitted it to myself, I missed Mello and the thing made me feel closer to him for some reason. Humph. Don't judge me. I probably didn't know how to function without him.

I got onto Mello's motorcycle (another thing that made me feel like he was near) and started speeding off to the Starbucks, not caring if I got a ticket.

When I got there, I calmly made sure Mello's rosary was in plain sight, laying on top of my army jacket.

I calmly walked into Starbucks, looking for Sayu as I did.

_Huh. I guess she isn't-_

A hand wrapped around my mouth from behind, and arms roughly towed me out of Starbucks.

_I really wish I could reach my gun right now_, I thought bitterly as I was dragged away by strong arms.


	8. Chapter 8

****I was actually going to post this yesterday, but It didn't quite end up that way, sadly. Well, here it is!

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><p><strong>Chapter 13<strong>

_Threats and Explanations_

I was shoved roughly into the back of a black van.

_How cliché…, _I thought, already slightly bored. I was a little worried about Mello being all alone at our apartment while I was being kidnapped, but Matt would be home soon.

And I wasn't really worried about myself; I was 15, and Beyond had said I would die at 17. _So ha,_ I thought in the direction of my captor, even though I, for one, knew there were worse things than dying.

I was bound and gagged by a man (I assumed) wearing a ski mask. Again, cliché.

The van was driven away and I quickly assessed my options. Frankly, there weren't many. Whoever had tied me was very good; I couldn't pull open the knots. I could loosen my gag, however, just enough for it to slip down onto my neck. I wouldn't bother calling for help, though; Japanese streets were loud and crowded at this time of day, and no one would hear me. I looked around me again. The back of the van itself was empty except for me. There was a wall separating me from the driver; I must be in some kind of food containment unit.

I was driven around for some time. Even I, with my photographic memory, couldn't keep track of all the twists and turns.

I wonder; was that their plan?

After a while, the van stopped and I was dragged roughly out by a captor who seemed (though this was just a guess, due to the ski mask) slightly irritated that I had gotten my gag off. They roughly fixed it before dragging me into a close by house. I noted dully that we hadn't gone too far; we were still in the Kanto region of Japan.

The house passed by me in a blur as I was quickly dragged upstairs and down a hallway. I was then shoved into a room, the door closed behind me.

I slowly managed to stand up my leaning heavily against the wall, and found the light switch, turning it on.

I was in what appeared to be a stereo-typical teenage boy's room-a desk on one wall, and a shelf on the opposite one. The shelf was full of course books-college student, then? Probably. I slowly walked around the room, trying to figure out who had kidnapped me and why.

Slowly I was drawn to the desk. It was very neat, possibly a sign of Obsessive-Compulsive disorder. The pens and pencils were all lead down in a pencil cup with careful precision…

Except for one mechanical pencil. Huh.

I started to look through the doors in the desk meticulously (I dare you to open and look through someone's desk with your hands tied behind your back- it's not easy) , searching through each one, finding papers and other similar things. Only one was locked.

One free-range pencil, and one locked door…

_Is there some kind of connection?_, I thought cynically, examining the mechanical pencil.

Suddenly the door creaked open again, and I was shoved into a seated position on the bed, my attacker in front of me.

_So that's what you look like…_

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><p>Most of you have probably figured out who kidnapped her... I'm just wondering how many of you know why...<p>

Thanks sooo much to everyone who reviewed, and please review again!


	9. Chapter 9

I'm soooo sorry for the wait. I had this done almost a week ago, but FF was being a b**** and decided to not let me update anything.

Please review anyway?

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><p>Oh my god, I got myself kidnapped by a f***ing Abercrombie and Fitch model.<p>

I'm serious. I will never live that down.

He was tall, for someone with Asian descent, with broad shoulders. He wasn't overly muscular, but he still looked like he could handle himself fairly well. He had brown eyes, and shiny red-brown hair.

It didn't have the effect it might have had on me another day, because I knew what was really behind that face. Mello had shown me a picture of this man before.

Light Yagami. God. The second L. This man had many names, but the most important one was-

"Kira." I whispered. "I was trying to meet with Sayu."

His expression remained cold. "I don't know or care who told you that, but I am not Kira. And you will not be meeting Sayu. At least not until you answer some questions."

I tilted my head to the side slightly. "Like what?"

"Where is Matt?" he began. "Why hadn't Sayu heard from him in weeks? And, most importantly, _why_ were you using his cell-phone, and how do you know him?

"Answer my questions completely and in order." he finished with a smirk.

I sighed, figuring out how to tell him just enough without telling him everything.

"What time is it?" I muttered.

"12:30am." he snapped.

"Then Matt is still at work." I said, relieved. "At GameStop." I added before he could say something. As for your second question, that's where things get long."

He gestured for me to continue.

"Matt and I… are, along with another friend of ours, involved in some things we shouldn't be." He raised an eyebrow. "Specifically? The mafia. Just recently, things started getting dangerous. Really dangerous. …we decided it was better if we cut out all outside ties." I finished. Kira gave me a look that said _'go on' _very clearly.

"I used his cell-phone because one of our friends, his brother and my boyfriend, was in trouble. The dying kind of trouble." I said, my tone clipped as I thought of Mello's situation. "As for your last question, I didn't have Sayu's number, but Matt's phone did. It made sense to use it. As for how I knew Matt, we grew up together. I've known him for 5 or 6 years now." I finished.

He stared at me for the longest time. "I believe you." he muttered, walking over to his desk, where he grabbed the mechanical pencil I had noticed earlier. His back to me, obstructing his hands from my view, he did something with it that made a clicking sound and the door that I couldn't open before popped open.

So there was a connection!

He pulled a notebook out of the compartment slowly.

It was eerily familiar.

In spidery handwriting on the front cover, it read _Death Note._

"What is your name?" Kira asked me calmly.

Oh, crap.


	10. Chapter 10

****DISCLAIMER: Who said I owned Death Note?

I'm not very happy with how this chapter turned out, but I couldn't find many ways to avoid it. Kill me if you want, but at least read it first.

THANK YOU SOO MUCH FOR REVEIWING!

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><p><strong>Chapter 15<strong>

_Romeo and Juliet_

There, when I thought I was about to die, a conversation I had with Matt about a week ago flickered across my mind.

"_Why do you hate Romeo and Juliet stories so much? Can't you believe in love?"_

"_I told you. They aren't real"_

"_There has to be more to it than that, Marie…"_

"…_Did you ever read Romeo and Juliet, Matt?"_

"_No, but I think I've got the gist of it."_

"_Do you know how it ends?"_

"…_How?_

"_They both die, Mail. They kill themselves."_

"…_I can see your point, but wouldn't you die for the one you love?"_

"_Of course I would. I plan to." That doesn't mean I have to like it._

The face Matt had given me that day had been hilarious.

I planned to die for the people I love, but dying _then_, at the hands of Kira, would've solved nothing.

So I kept my mind rational, knowing I needed to think. What did Kira want? What did he _need_?

Something L had said to Wammy's house back when he was still alive rang in my ears.

"_We know he __**needs**__ a face and a name to kill_."

Names? I had so many names, names he would want to know… H***, in my wallet, I had _pictures_ of some of them…

A name and a face for a few lives…

I had my price now.

"What does Kira need to kill?" I asked Light calmly.

"What?

"C'mon, this is common knowledge. What two things does Kira need to kill?"

"A face and a name."

"Huh… Kira would find me pretty useful alive, then," I drawled. "Seeing all the names I know… All the faces…"

"What are you implying?" he said calmly.

He couldn't fool me. I could see he was interested, in the way his light brown eyes lit up when I said it…

"N could die very easily if you just let me talk to Sayu."

His eyes widened minutely.

"How do I know you aren't lying…"

"If he dies, then I'm not lying."

Light shakes his head, and a cruel grin spreads across his face.

"I'm afraid I'll need more than that. How about… you give me the name and face of your friend on death row. If N doesn't die, then he does."

I shake my head. "You'll kill him anyway."

"Why would I do that?" Come on, it's obvious.

"Because he was involved in the Mafia." Duh…

"So were you. How did you come across N's name if you're in the Mafia?"

"Old friends. Do you want the name or not?"

"… Ten minutes." he said, deciding he didn't really care. I nodded.

"If Misa Amane shows up at any time while I am still here, you get nothing."


	11. Chapter 11

I'm not exactly happy with this chapter, but here it is. Please review!**  
><strong>

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><p><strong>Chapter 15<strong>

_Realizations and Exclamations_

It had been a month since I had convinced Sayu to give me the necessary medical materials to save Mello. It had been two weeks since Mello finally woke, and a week since we had all moved and changed our names.

I still refused to tell Mello why we had to move, that I had given Kira a false name and ran.

And of _course_ I didn't give him Near's actual name. Nate had helped me through a very rough patch in my life. It was the least I could do.

…that's not to say I wouldn't kill him for Mello or Matt in a heartbeat, but still.

We were sitting in our shitty low-class living room when Mello told Matt and I his plan.

When he was done, I stared at him with wide eyes, completely blown out by his stupidity for a second.

"No." I said calmly. "You are _not_ kidnapping Takada." It was simple, really. He wasn't, and there was nothing he could do about it.

"What?" he asked me blankly.

"No." I repeated. "You may think you're going to execute this idiotic plan, but you're _not._"

"And who's going to stop me?" he said cockily.

I looked him up and down. "I'm not saying it's not a good idea. But there's so many faults in this plan, and so many ways it could go wrong…" I tried to soften my voice a little, so he would listen to what I said.

"Please Mello. At least let me help you."

He shook his head. "You are not going out there."

I sighed. "I don't need to. Just let me fix your plan… tweak it a little bit. Please."

Mello got up, walking over and sitting down next to me and slinging his arm around me.

"Okay." he said lightly. His arm around me tightened lightly when he said, "But you have to promise me you'll stay away." I nod lightly, knowing that I'd break that promise if I had to.

"Now." he said. "What is it that you think needs fixing?"

"First," I started. "You're give Takada too much free room. If you give her the blanket, she will not hesitate to hid a piece of a Death Note in it, I promise you.

"Why would you say that?"

I sighed, giving him a bitter look. "I know people like her, Mello. All they care about is saving they're own hide. Kira's lucky she seems to care about him, too."

He nodded, knowing that I had a good point.

"Another thing. Matt is _not_ going to be your distraction."

"Hey!" Matt exclaimed. "Why not?"

"Because." I stated. "Whoever the distraction is, they're going to die. End of story, there's no way around it. So pick someone you don't like, as long as they get the job done."

He nodded dully.

"I would rather you didn't have a part in this at all," I said. "But I know that won't work, so lets go for a compromise."

He nodded.

I go into the other room real quickly before coming back in with a mask in my hands.

"You are _not_ going to show Takada your face. It would be really good if you could make sure she doesn't know who you are."

He nodded calmly, but my heart was still filled with dread.

Even after all my preparations, I knew something would go wrong.


	12. Chapter 12

_A small girl with chestnut brown curls sits down with a laptop in a tumbling apartment. Across the room, two boys sleep on opposite ends of a bed, fast asleep._

_She begins typing. _

…If anyone happens to read this, I'm dead. There's no doubt.

I planned to die today. Don't think this was a horrible accident. It wasn't. It was a wonderful solution to a horrible problem.

Matt-I know what I told you. I do hate Romeo and Juliet stories. You've just got to remember one thing-Sometimes they're necessary.

…don't worry. I'm fine. You know me… I always find a way. See you on the other side.

Mello-I've dreaded this for days, to be truthful… What do I say? I'm sorry? I'm not. I wish it hadn't been this way?

I'll go with that. I wish it hadn't been this way, but this is one of those things you can't change.

Do you hear that? Don't even try.

I love you. I really do, or I would still be alive right now.

Stay strong.

See you soon.

I know what you're saying right now…

Family sticks together, and I'm leaving you.

No.

Family sticks together, and that's why I'm leaving you-I know it isn't my faith to believe in life after death, but I know I'll see you again…

Can't you feel it? We're tied together, in a knot too tight to break.

Be happy. Go into hiding.

Forever Free,

Marie.

_She logged off and left, a tear shining in her eye._

* * *

><p><em>Light Yagami died of mysterious circumstances that day. <em>

_Misa Amane killed herself within the same hour. _

_Kyomi Takada was arrested for setting the diseased Light's desk on fire. She refused to tell police why she was there, or what she was looking for._

_Once a year, three boys would visit a small grave in LA. Once, a brave woman asked them- "Why are you here?" They replied with, "She wasn't supposed to die," and the woman asked what they meant. _

_They said, simple as can be,:_

"_She was supposed to live for two more glorious years, but a terrible war took a horrible price that left all her dreams SHATTERED."_

* * *

><p><em><em>Yep. That's the end. Hard to beleive, isn't it? Oh, well, please review. I love you all.

~Cassie


End file.
